A Hero Ain't Nothin' But A Sandwich

Thursday, April 8th, 7:30pm

Faux Real

(Truth Telling in Narrative Film)

Dir. Ralph Nelson, 1977, 107 mins.

Adapted from Alice Childress' inspirational novel of the same name, director Ralph Nelson's super real addiction drama tells the story of an intelligent yet alienated young person seduced into the world of hard drugs. Unable to stand being in the same apartment as his gruff but caring foster-father Butler (Paul Winfield), high school student Benjie (Larry B. Scott) opts to pass the time smoking weed and drinking with his good friend Jimmy Lee (Kenneth Green) and small-time drug dealer Carwell (Erin Blunt). Before long Benjie is hooked, and hanging out with local pusher Tiger (Kevin Hooks) in order to get the hard stuff. Increasingly alienated from both his foster-father and his grandmother (Helen Martin), young Benjie must rely on the assistance of a caring social worker (Claire Brennan) in order to stay clean and get back on his feet.